A Trip to Austin

Hello, there!

My 88-year-old mother and I returned 7/29 from a trip to Austin for Annual Assembly and to Houston to visit with my son. We were loaded and set to depart last Monday morning, but the car wouldn't start, lazy thing. A call to AAA saved the day--that and a new battery. Did you know that AAA tow trucks now carry a variety of batteries which they will happily sell you? They can even print out a receipt.

We left later than expected, and we were hot and sweaty, but the air conditioner worked just fine, and we arrived in Austin and found our way to the Hyatt with no trouble. OK, there was a little, eensy-weensy bit of trouble because I am directionally challenged, but really, I was awesome!

I just love the Hyatt. We were on the 16th floor of the hotel, and there was a river view. Just beautiful. Since it was raining, we ate in the hotel, and the food was way overpriced but very tasty. Mother ordered tortilla soup and quesadillas, and I had tortilla soup and crab cakes. Delicious. I was able to talk Mother into riding the escalator, which is my favorite Hyatt pastime, so life was good.

The exercise room is on the first floor, and I was all alone in there so I felt comfortable weighing myself on their dirty, lying scale. Someone should do something about that. I had a great time. There is a little refrigerator full of cold wet towels so one can refresh oneself, and one did.

The next morning, I hiked up one flight of stairs to the Lariat List Committee meeting and had fun greeting returning members and meeting our new ones. Already, we are divided in our opinions about books, and that is the fun of being on this committee. In a later post, I will regale you with anecdotes about some of the books we are reading.





Goodbye, Hyatt, and hello, Houston! My son said he had been working in our apartment and I should not let his grandmother come inside. I had an idea what the place might look like so his grandmother and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express two minutes from my own home. My son was sick, had been to the doctor, and tried to visit with us, but he just felt awful, so we excused him and fell into bed ourselves. I was out before my head touched the pillow.




After a family breakfast at Denny's the next morning, Mother and I set out for home. We made a brief stop at Buc-ee's (their bathrooms are so, so nice) and at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana. The rain began to fall, and I wished I had not left the ark at home. When we turned into the driveway in Richardson, my sister was on her way out to teach her night class. She was glad to see us since both cats had behaved abominably in Mother's absence.

This is a pitiful account of a trip, but this is why I haven't progressed any further on my Things. :(